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Road & Trail Race Organization MEMBERSHIP 

To have events covered under the Athletics Ontario Insurance Policy, race directors must register their organization with Athletics Ontario's by becoming a Race Organization member via AthleticsREG.  This process will change for 2027, please see Race Directors (2027) for more detail

Nighttime marathon runners

2026 FEES 

ATHLETICS ONTARIO RACE ORGANIZATION FEE STRUCTURE  *Changes coming in 2027*​

TIER 1

0 - *199 Participants

$200 + 13% HST = $226.00

TIER 2

200 - *499 Participants

$400 + 13% HST = $452.00

TIER 3

500 - *999 Participants

$800 + 13% HST = $904.00

TIER 4

*1000+ Participants

$1,200+ 13% HST = $1,356.00

*NOTE:

  • A charge *$0.70 per participant over the participant tier max per year for AO day memberships, are tracked throughout the year and invoiced in December.

  • The participants per year under the participant tier max is included in the yearly Race Organization membership fee.

    • * per participant fee subject to change upon insurance rates (updated each April)​


ATHLETICS ONTARIO RACE ORGANIZATION MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS

  • Event Insurance Coverage: General Liability, and Accident Death and Dismemberment for members and/or day members.

  • Support: Provincial sport governing body support within municipalities as needed.

  • Run Clubs, Running Group Coverage: Your organization and all participants have insurance coverage under your policy so long as your participants are also AO members (day member fee below for Events only); and Group Run Safety Guidelines are followed.

  • Professionalism: Demonstration of professionalism as a Race Director.

  • Promotion: Enhanced event promotion through exposure on Athletics Ontario website and social media platforms, and at least one feature in weekly newsletter around the time of your event.

  • Event Sanction Fee: Sanction application fee of $75.00 is waived for all annual races within your Race Organization membership (pending Race Sanction Application approval).

  • Grants: Race Organizations registered in good standing may qualify for club grants when available.

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  • INSURANCE INFORMATION
    Comprehensive insurance coverage for all of your events and activities including but not limited to: road/trail races, associated activities and events, and training groups (Insurance details can be found here); all Athletics Ontario Sanctioned road and trail events under each Athletics Ontario Race Organization.  


    DIRECTOR & OFFICERS LIABILITY INSURANCE

  • If Directors and Officers Liability insurance is required (for Not-for-Profit Organizations with a Board of Directors), you must take out an Athletics Ontario ASSOCIATE Membership, obtain an annual police record check ,and complete NCCP Safe Sport module as outlined below:

    • Athletics Ontario ASSOCIATE Membership  Associate membership is located under  Unattached Member - Technical - Associate

    • ASSOCIATE REQUIREMENTS:

      • Criminal Background Check - submission options:

        • Submit your own Background Criminal Record Check to office@athleticsontario.ca.

        • Submit at time of Associate Membership registration via Sterling Backcheck. Athletics Ontario is pleased to offer a fast, convenient, and credible online method to request and obtain your police record check electronically, at the the time of registration, or upon expiration of your previously submitted police check. The type of check provided is a Criminal Record and Judicial Matters Check (CRJMC). 

      • NCCP Safe Sport – This module must be completed and valid. To register for this FREE online module, please visit https://thelocker.coach.ca/onlinelearning#SS

Race Sanctioning

  • The use of the Athletics Ontario Sanction logo on your race website and marketing materials indicates to your participants that your event successfully meets the AO Sanction Criteria and that your agree to abide by the corresponding safety standards. Upon completion of an AO Sanction Application and approval, you will receive a Sanction logo.

  • The sanction logo is valid ONLY for the year of the sanction application.

  • The cost for an Athletics Ontario Road & Trail Sanction is $75 per year (this fee is waived for Registered 2026 Athletics Ontario Race Organizations and Clubs).

  • AO Extreme Environment Guidelines 

  • Athletics Canada Race Director Guide

 

**APPLY EARLY** Sanction applications can take up to 4 weeks to process. 

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EVENT Insurance

All road and trail running races / events that require insurance coverage under Athletics Ontario's Insurance Program:

 

PLEASE NOTE: Insurance Certificates can take up to 3 weeks to process; please apply with ample time before your event. Last minute requests are not guaranteed to be issued.

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RACE DIRECTORS

EVENT SANCTIONING & INSURANCE

Athletics Ontario (AO) is a Provincial Sport Organization holding an insurance policy that covers Athletics Ontario along with its members, sanctioned events, and affiliated organizations. It is important to note that AO does not sell insurance and does not draft custom insurance policies. However, sanctioned and affiliated organizations and member participants are covered under our comprehensive insurance policy, provided all sanctioning and membership conditions are met.

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An updated copy of the current AO insurance policies can be found here.

RACE DIRECTORS REQUIRING EVENT INSURANCE PLEASE FOLLOW THE LINK BELOW FOR FURTHER GUIDANCE

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ATHLETICS CANADA COURSE CERTIFICATION

  1. Check out the Athletics Canada Certified Courses List.

  2. Looking to get your race certified? Check here.

  3. AC Certification - Manuals & Forms

AIMS Road Course Measurement Workshop - Ottawa, July 18, 2026

More information here

For events that are Athletics Canada Certified. CVS/Excel spreadsheets must be submitted to results@athletics.ca for rankings purposes directly after the event.

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Race Director Summit
January 23, 2027

Athletics Ontario looks forward to hosting our 10th annual National Race Director Summit on Saturday, January 23 2027, at the stunning Centennial College Event Centre. The day promises to deliver, yet again, a full slate of high-impact content, including expert-led presentations, interactive breakout sessions, and meaningful knowledge-sharing opportunities specifically designed for race directors and event organizers. With a strong focus on best practices in event planning, safety, marketing, technology, and athlete experience, the summit reinforces a shared goal: equipping race directors with the tools and insights needed to deliver world-class events across Ontario.

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